Your Parents Really Love You!

And you are such an excellent child to love, Daniel.

DDD for Sunday, December 19

Jingle bells!

DDD for Friday, December 17

And here is a message from Daniel, who is sitting on my lap...

dfccfffffffffxnhbijccncnxb rdhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhcncncbv

DDD for Thursday, December 16

Daniel was being so silly with his pizza last night.

DDD for 12/15/10

Daniel is engrossed in a train set. He pushed the whistle button over
and over! I am starting to realize that the serious look of
concentration means he is really interested in something and excited
about it. I thought excitement would be a little more happy looking,
but this is Daniel's experession for,"I LOVE this new thing!"

DDD 12/14/10

He was the most excited about the "clock" (spedometer) on the console!
He didn't want to get off!

A Creative Game of His Own Device

I was preparing a meal at my parents house and using their computer as a cookbook, so I admit that I only had one eye on my son, and at times, only half.  He was walking around their dining room table and peeking into their pantry.  There were no loud noises or mysterious lack of sounds, so it sounded like normal play time.    I realized about five minutes later what he was doing.

He was so serious as he transfered their canned items from a lower shelf on the pantry onto the table top.  He even stacked some of the cans!  It was his own arrangement, and as you can see from the photos, he was taking his work very seriously.  

Once all of the cans and jars had been moved to the table, he closed the pantry and began to play with some trucks.  It was if his work was done!  I left the cans there for a few hours, then put them away so as not to confuse my parents.

DDD for 12/13/10

Daniel is enjoying his favorite Christmas treat - Candy Canes - picked
fresh from the Christmas tree!

DDD for 12/12/10

Daniel is helping to decorate the tree at his Nana's house.

DDD for 12/11/10

Daniel has started to use pencils, pens, and colored pencils to draw!
So far, he just draws lines.

Current Daniel Past times

Bathing.  He knows the word bath and gets very excited about bathing just as soon as he has finished dinner.  He points to the bath and runs into the bathroom.  He spends much of his time filling up bottles and cups and transferring water from one container to another.  He really likes the nesting cups we have that have different hole patterns on the bottom and enjoys watching the water run out of them.


Library - We attend a story time for new walkers at the library once a week.  He really enjoys walking around in the library, pointing to the art and clocks, and then trying to get to the play center.  He enjoys the story times less.  I think the other children are distracting.  He likes when there are stories, finger plays, and songs, but he gets too distracted by the other kids anytime puppets are involved or there is a sing and dance time with a CD.  He points to the exit and tries to leave!  He spends a lot of time playing at the library's toddler kitchen and doing their puzzles.  We do not often read at the library because there are too many fun things to see that we don't have have home (lots of books at home!).


Drumming- Daniel makes most objects into drums.  We have several old formula cans and oatmeal canisters that he uses. He lines up various sizes and plays on them with a plastic mallet and a wooden chopstick.  He enjoys making different pitches of sound, but has only mastered one volume - LOUD.  He also keeps a constant beat and does not deviate into erratic rhythms or songs.


TV - Lately, Daniel has slept through Curious George at 7 AM, so he doesn't have that show to delight him.  We usually watch an episode of Sesame Street every day, usually from DVD and from the 70s.  He enjoys the muppets and the number cartoons. I think he pays attention for about 15 minutes at a time, then does something else, then comes back to it.  He also enjoys Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, but since we don't have cable, he can only watch if we get it on DVD or he is at my parents' house.  He really enjoys dancing to the Hot Dog Dance at the end of the show.


Nesting Cubes - He started to play with six boxes that we got as a Christmas gag gift (all wrapped inside another with a present in the very last box).  He likes putting them inside each other, stacking them, taking lids off and on, and putting objects inside the boxes and then trying to find them.  This holds his attention for a VERY long time.


Reading - Usually we read four times a day, but Daniel sometimes goes to get books on his own and reads them to himself.  He especially likes to read books to himself that have animals (cute, furry ones like kittens or monkeys) inside.  He brings us books that he wants to read, and he helps us pick out three books for before bed time and naps.  He often wants to start his day, even before diaper change and breakfast, by reading books.


Laughing - He makes himself laugh by tickling his belly.  He laughs when other people laugh.  He laughs at stuffed animals.  He laughs at the TV.  He laughs so often.  We sometimes encourage the laughter with tickles and silly games, and he LOVES this.  He loves chase games, sneak up on another person games, and wrestling games that are ticklish in nature.  


Pretty much, his other hobbies of sleeping, pointing, dancing and singing, and jabbering, eating and looking for snacks, watching the washing machine, and playing with my hair fixing accessories are the same as in the last three months.

Potty Chair: Week 10 (or so?)

Daniel continues to "go on command" for potty time before bath, at about 6:00 PM every night.  He really enjoys  dumping the potty into the big toilet and flushing by himself.  We'll keep this routine for awhile, and I think start morning potty time soon.

A Special Family Christmas Evening

Daniel,

Tonight we had a special time celebrating Christmas with our little family.  All week we have been preparing for Christmas, day by day, adding new decorations to our house.  Last weekend your dad put up the house Christmas lights.  He got down decorations from the attic.  We also started to light Christmas candles that smell of evergreen and other festive scents, and you enjoyed seeing and smelling them.  On Monday, I washed our special 12 Days of Christmas drinking glasses and moved the ceramic lighted tree into our kitchen to see.  On Tuesday we strung a garland of snowmen together and hung it in the kitchen near the table above your high chair.  We also read a Christmas book with several traditional Christmas icons and taught you the vocabulary.  On Wednesday, I hung two more Christmas wreaths on doors.  I also put out the small nativity and we practiced saying Jesus.  On Thursday you moved the window clings we'd put on the patio doors around.  You enjoyed the train stickers, but you really enjoyed the nativity.  You carried Jesus and his parents around the house and told me their names.  I also put out a small Santa and you started to call him HAT (or AT? or Hatch?).  On Friday I got out some more decorations, which included a set of nesting gift boxes. You played and played with them. I also bought a small tinsel tree for your bedroom and you watched as I hung small ornaments on it for you.  I put two other small, artificial trees in the living room and a few other decorations on door knobs.  You were delighted!

And on Saturday, we planned a date for our family.  We started by reviewing Christmas vocabulary, but you have really mastered it.  We ask you to identify Santa, Jesus, candy canes, wreaths, etc. and you can easily do so.  

First we made hot cocoa for everyone and watched the opening scenes of a Christmas movie your dad loves, Christmas Vacation.    You LOVED the cocoa! It was only warm for you since I cut it with half a cup of whole milk.  You slurped down twelve ounces, and I shared some of mine with you, too.  Here you are with your father.  Note that you are wearing a special, Christmasy outfit.

Next we went to Bass Pro, a local outdoor equipment and sporting goods shop.  They have a special Christmas area with Santa.  They also have many motorized vehicles, and you stopped to explore them.  You will not ride on these things alone for quite sometime based on your size and your impulsivity!  But it was fun.

This store has many different decorations and lots of animals that have been taxidermied.  You liked this lighted deer, though I am surprised you could identify it as a deer since it looks like a bundle of sticks!  But you are a clever fellow.

When we went inside, the store was so crowded.  There were lots of sales to see, but we were there on a mission.  We wanted you to go and visit Santa Claus.  The Bass Pro Santa did look friendly and his costume was nice.  However, there was no line at all.  You did not have an opportunity to get warmed up before we took you to see the Santa.  Look at your expression.

We told you several times it was Santa, and tried to distract you by getting you to smile at your dad or listen to jingle bells.  You just wanted the man to put you down.  You kept pointing to the ground and saying, "DOWN!".

 And then you started crying.

 It was a fit.  We couldn't help but laugh though.  You looked really funny.  The Santa didn't think it was so funny.

We did not order any of the professional photos.  The free photo we received was good enough!  And I did not want to torture you by making you pose again.

The Santa area was very loud.  There were so many children playing shooting games, running around the ATVs, making crafts, and playing with other displays that were set up.  You were quickly distracted.  You noticed everything.

Your dad showed you the remote control cars.  You can see he thought they were pretty neat.  I think you did, too.  You could not look at the controller and the car at the same time, so I don't know if you really understood what was happening.  But your dad had fun!

 He tried to explain this to you by putting you on the table to look at the cars as you pressed the button.  But you grabbed for the car and broke the antenna off.  I took you away so your dad could try to fix it.  I guess you are just too young for a car like that!

 
Next we looked around some more.  You liked the special Christmas train set that was on display.  When other children left, we showed you it and let you press some of the buttons.

I think you liked the whistle noise, too.  Your father and I both like the idea of a special Christmas train and town display, so maybe someday we'll have a trainset like this one.  You will probably think its neat then, too.

The next photos are beautiful.   They are not of you looking at Santa or his beautiful workshop area.  You are looking in wonder and astonishment, the same way many children do look at beautiful Christmas decorations.

But you are looking at fish in a large aquarium.  You waved to them, said, "HI!", and loved seeing them swim.  We looked at fish for a very long time.  You can say the word fish in your own way, and it sounds like 'Ffffffsh".  You have been saying this word for two months, since your 15 month checkup, but these fish are much more impressive than the fish at our pediatrician's office.  They are neater than the ones in your books, too.

After going to Bass Pro, we went to a restaurant to eat.  This is a rare and special occurrence.  Though we really do love you, it is stressful for us to take you to a different place to eat.  You are a little picky about the food and you are VERY distracted by other diners, sounds, and decorations.  This time you spent a little time coloring with crayons and sitting in the booth in our laps.  You ate maybe five bites of food from our plates, and we were under pressure to eat quickly to get to our next destination and to be kind to your dislike of sitting still and quiet in a restaurant.  You weren't TERRIBLE, but you were not a calm, peaceful diner, either. You made eyes at a table full of college girls and caused them to giggle.  You pointed and loudly said,. "THAT!" at all the decorations on the wall and at every light.  You fussed when we tried to get you to eat anything other than a French fry (and you only had two or three of those).

We next drove to our church to see the Christmas program.  Last year our family was in this program, and I remarked at how much you've grown since you were Baby Jesus.  This time, you were interested in all the decorations and you danced a little to the music.  Unfortunately, we had to leave early.  You soaked two diapers (all that cocoa!) and had a leak on my lap.  You were also too talkative to be a good audience member.   I think you did enjoy the time of watching the singers and also in seeing the church decorated so much.  You did not notice either thing last year!

On our way home, we looked at many houses lit and decorated for Christmas.  We could see many lighted trees in the windows.  Our tree will go up later this week, and I think you will like it, too.  You are so interested in our house lights and in the lighted nativity scene we have in our front garden.  You are able to point to Mary and Joseph when we ask you to point to Jesus's mama and dad, but you can say Jesus.   It sounds like  'Chu-Je-z-s" or at other times 'Jees".

This was a very lovely afternoon for us as your parents, and it was so pleasant to hear you sing along to the Christmas carols in your high pitched "ahhaaa"s and "ooooo- ou-ou"s.  It is wonderful to see you delight in our favorite holiday as well.

Love
Your Mom

Another Wonderful Thing About You.

Dear Baby,

You are so full of joy.  You spent most of your day in pure merriment!  This means you laugh and play with your toys (alone or with a parent), you sing little high pitched songs you've made up and then giggle when we catch you and ask if you are singing Christmas carols, and you laugh anytime you hear another person laugh.  Then you laugh harder and louder so everyone will laugh with you!

But just now is even better and a perfect example of what a happy person you are.  Its after ten and I went to make sure you were tucked in under some covers.  As I drew the blankets around you, I saw you smile.  I smiled. I put a pacifier near your head, and you lunged for it and laughed.  Your eyes were closed, but you were clearly laughing and smiling.  You turned your head and I saw why you thought it was funny - you had another pacifier right there on the other side of your head!  You tried to put both of them in your mouth at once.  You chuckled silently to yourself.  I laughed and smiled, and you smiled some more.  All the while, you were SLEEPING!  I bet you are having very pleasant dreams tonight.

It is a real pleasure to spend days with you, my happy boy, and your delight in life rubs off on me. Even though I am often tired and sick through this current pregnancy with your sister, I do enjoy my days. You are such a fun, special little boy!

Love,
Your Mama.

DDD for Sunday, December 5

A less than pleasant experience with Santa.

A First Hair Cut

This hair cut has been a long time in the making, and to tell the truth, it remains half finished three days after the first snip was made!

First, I sat DHH down to watch an episode of Sesame Street.  He just loves the Old School DVD Collection I found for him, especially the segments with Bert and Ernie.

Then I crept behind him and snipped off the large, puffy curl that has become a mini-mullet.

I could only make two more cuts before he became annoyed with me and wanted to take the scissors from me... probably to explore how they work!

I talked to a mother of a similarly aged son (though he has much more hair than our boy) at the library, and she recommended sitting him in a high chair and giving him a sucker to occupy his hands (and mouth).  Daniel loves candy canes, so that might be the perfect option!  For now, its much better than it was.  Maybe I'll get adventurous or more determined for perfection in the next week and finish it up!

DDD for Saturday, December 4

Photograph taken in one of Daniel's very few still moments in the
day... he was watching Bert and Ernie with rapt attention!

DDD for December 4

Daniel is pointing at the wash. He has been very helpful gathering
laundry and often asks me "Wshhhhhhh?" or makes back and forth motions
with his hands at waist level and whispers. Both of those are
expressions that mean, "Let's do laundry! I think its the spin cycle
time!!". This boy is so mechanically inclined that it should not
surprise me that he is so interesting in a machine that has bubbles
AND water!